I loved this book. The one complaint I had was that it was too blunt. Perhaps, it was. But I was definitely pulled into this new world - an interesting new magical system, not-perfect characters who are morally upright nonetheless, how intentions clash with reality, the inherent self-centeredness of people, the resilience of people - I was zooming through the tale. In spite of the ending not being perfect, I am rooting for these characters to prevail.